Year 5C and 5W News

PYP Exhibition 2016

The Year 5 boys this year were given the challenge of developing their own central idea for the PYP Exhibition. We decided that the transdisciplinary theme would be Who We Are and from there we explored the related concepts and possible lines of inquiry. The boys wrote central ideas in groups and eventually voted on 'beliefs, values, culture, health and the environment have an impact on who we are as individuals.'

This broad central idea gave us unlimited options for inquiry. The immersion stage of the inquiry cycle included guest speakers who presented a variety of topics from Greek and Samoan culture to football to food and nutrition. The boys investigated the sugar content in common foods, explored prejudice and discrimination and looked at mental health. One of the most exciting provocations was developing a Scotch College version of the Book of Awesome (inspired by Neil Pasricha), which is a lovely keepsake of the 5C and 5W 'awesome' daily anecdotes.

The boys were then invited to participate in a range of workshops designed to enthuse their final presentations: public speaking, Photoshop, iMovie, creative writing, cartooning, graffiti art, coding and many more. This was a new initiative and well received by the boys.

Once inspired, the boys delved into their questioning and research. The boys used Google docs to manage their work, allowing them to interact with each another in a digital forum. The range of burning questions was impressive, from drones to superstitions to medical assistive technology to deforestation, to mention a small sample. The boys were encouraged to research using a range of sources and it was wonderful to see interviews and surveys taking place to enhance the quality of information gathered.

The final part of research required the boys to analyse the information and draw conclusions. Each group or individual needed to find a way to present the information, ready for the displays in the library gallery. The styles of display ranged from posters to Lego models to Minecraft simulated environments and even a 3D printed bionic arm. We are extremely proud of the boys for their hard work over the 8-week unit of work. Their dedication and commitment to learning resulted in a wonderful exhibition of work and a fantastic finale to the end of the PYP journey. A great sign of a learning experience is to consider the action part of the inquiry cycle. By discussing with the boys the impact on themselves as individuals, it was evident that every boy will be left with a lasting lesson from what they learned through the PYP Exhibition 2016.

Some of the 'action' that students have decided to take include:

considering where to shop for clothes

giving up ice-cream for a period of time

looking at healthy eating to enhance athletic performance

trying the driverless bus

raising awareness of Jeans for Genes day

collecting old mobile phones

informing people about sustainable tuna sources

The Year 5 teachers would like to thank everyone who was involved in helping to make the experience so memorable for our boys: the staff mentors, workshop presenters, guest speakers and all of the behind-the-scenes helpers.